Showing posts tagged as "turtle"
Our hatchling loggerhead sea turtle arrived at the Aquarium in time for the holidays and is “doing great” behind the scenes, according to Husbandry Curator Steve Vogel.
We anticipate he’ll go on exhibit early in the New Year!
Get the whole story about our loggerhead turtle’s epic journey.
Sea Turtle Arrives in Monterey
After a full day of travel on Thursday, our hatchling loggerhead sea turtle touched down in Monterey around 10 p.m. last night. Husbandry Curator Steve Vogel, who accompanied the turtle on its journey, brought it immediately to the Aquarium where it went straight to swimming behind the scenes.
This morning our veterinarian, Dr. Mike Murray, examined our hatchling. At just four months old, it weighs just under half a pound (0.22 kg), and its shell measures about 4.4 inches (11.2 cm) long and 3.4 inches (8.7 cm) wide.
Our turtle passed the exam, but we’re keeping it behind the scenes until after Christmas to acclimate to a regular feeding routine. Dr. Mike notes this is pretty typical with any new animal going on exhibit at the Aquarium. “It’s a feeding learning process—learning each other’s idiosyncrasies,” he says. Since the turtle eventually will be released back into the wild, our aquarists will take a “hands-off” approach and not hand-feed it or spend more time with it than necessary. They’ll continue to keep track of the hatchling’s weight through routine exams.
We’ll let you know when the little loggerhead will be introduced into the Open Sea exhibit gallery so that you can stop by and visit.
Learn more about our loggerhead sea turtle’s journey to the Aquarium.
How far do turtles travel? Check it out! The olive ridley sea turtle that beached itself near the Aquarium last year was released off San Diego, and a tracking device indicates that it’s now 800 miles south, heading toward Mazatlan!
Learn more about the rescued olive ridley sea turtle.
Learn more about our research and conservation efforts and how you can help.
Ever wonder what happened to the olive ridley sea turtle that beached itself near the Aquarium a year ago? It was cared for at the Aquarium for several weeks, then transferred to SeaWorld San Diego, and released in August. Tracking data indicates she’s traveled hundreds of miles to Baja California and is doing well!
Hey, is that a penguin on your pumpkin? We created five great sea creature stencils to use this Halloween, including a penguin, seahorse, sea turtle and hammerhead shark. Print one and give it a try!
A green sea turtle swims by a school of sardines in the million-gallon tank in the Open Sea exhibit.© Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation
